SpeccyJam: The ZX Spectrum Game Dev Challenge

Through some random retweet I saw trickling through my Twitter stream I happened upon Speccy Jam, an annual event to create a game in one week with the rules being simply that the game can be for any platform and developed with any tool but must look like a genuine Sinclair ZX Spectrum game; specifically, the screen size (scalable) must be right and the colours used must be right with bonus points (there are no points) given if attribute blocks – the way every 8×8 block of pixels could only ever employ two colours (there’s a great discussion about this here) – is employed.

I could describe how much joy I felt looking through the Speccy Jam forum and Twitter stream yesterday evening or I could post up a few screenshots of some of the games under development right now (although if you read this later then not really right now any longer) and I think it’s pretty clear which way I’m going to go here.

A little bit of isometric heaven and a very good-looking game even this early on from Juan.

Bruce Leap

A few puns abound as Bruce Leap tries to get Mai Wee back in this platformer from Gazzapper Games.

Untitled Teddy Bear Game

I’m sure this game by Stew Hogarth will have a name but right now it doesn’t although you are a teddy bear and you’re stealing things.

Moon Unit Z

Another gorgeous isometric game being developed for Speccy Jam by Lewis Lane.

Lillian Gish

A top down version of Lillian Gish in progress from developer Devi Ever.

There are a load more ZX Spectrum-inspired games under development and last year’s entries can be found here too. I was too late in discovering the retro game development event this year but with a bit of luck I’ll remember for next year and have a stab at producing something truly awful and awesome at the same time, just like a real Spectrum game.